1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to refrigerator cabinets, and more particularly, to an air circulation system for providing improved circulation of refrigerated air in the refrigerator cabinet.
2. Description of Background Art
Conventional frostless-type refrigerators utilize forced refrigerated air flow to cool fresh food and freezer compartments. An electric fan draws refrigerated air across an evaporator coil with most of the air being forced into the freezer compartment and then returned to the evaporator. Some of the refrigerated air is delivered to the fresh food compartment through an air inlet opening therein. An adjustable damper may be provided at the air inlet opening and is typically located at the upper central portion of a rear wall in the fresh food compartment. Suitable air return openings are provided for returning air from the fresh food compartment to the evaporator.
One such construction is illustrated in Gelbard et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,229. The fresh food compartment includes an air inlet in a back wall thereof offset from the center. A pair of air return outlet openings are positioned on opposite sides of the inlet in a separator wall between the fresh food and freezer compartments. As a result of the proximity between the inlet and the one return opening, it is believed that much of the refrigerated air is "short-circuited" directly to the air return before circulating throughout the refrigerator.
The above described problem is compounded in a relatively narrow refrigerator cabinet, such as a 24 inch wide cabinet, wherein both such air return slots must be located in close proximity to the inlet.
An alternative approach is illustrated in Hanson U.S. Pat. No. 3,359,750, wherein a plurality of air return openings are provided laterally across a forwardly and downwardly facing portion of the separator wall. However, the air inlet is directed to force air in the general direction of the return openings, and therefore it is believed that this construction provides inefficient circulation. Additionally, such a construction would only be utilized where the evaporator coil is located within the separator wall.
The present invention overcomes the above problems of prior refrigerator cabinets, in a novel and simple manner.